


what to tell the other when we wake

by Rebellion042



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Birthday Fluff, M/M, i meant to write more than this but oh well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-12-07 22:59:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11633721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rebellion042/pseuds/Rebellion042
Summary: It's midnight, and it's Lance's birthday.





	what to tell the other when we wake

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally gonna be with all of the paladins and much longer but surprise, surprise: it's Klance. Title from Rusty Clanton's Novels.

Lance dreams of the ocean.

Gulls cry over the rolling waves as Lance digs his toes into the sand of Varadero. The wind picks up, and it’s the end of summer but Lance rubs his arms against the sudden cold. 

Behind him, Lance hears shrieks and laughter. He turns around just as Sofia crashes into him, closely followed by Mateo’s lanky, sixth-grade frame.

“ _ ¡Feliz cumpleaños, Tío Lance! _ ” Sofia yells in his ear, and he cringes but laughs just the same. 

“ _Gracias,_ _niña,”_ he says back, but her little form melts into sand and scatters to the wind. Mateo is gone. Lance stands up, confused, and turns to the ocean just before it swallows him whole. 

He used to be afraid of drowning. Used to stay on the shore while the rest of his cousins and siblings pushed each other under the waves. Now, Lance is so tired that he lets the water take him. 

He wakes up.

 

There’s no gasp, no cold sweat, no lingering shaking fingers that usually happen after he has a nightmare. Still, there’s a knock at his door, as always. 

Lance knows it will be Keith before he answers it, falls into Keith like he does almost every night and breathes in the solid warmth of his shoulder. Keith’s hand finds the back of Lance’s neck and his thumb brushes the hair that’s just started to grow out. 

Lance’s breathing evens out, and Keith pulls back and grasps his hand. “I have something to show you,” he says, words soft and quiet between them. Lance nods, and both of them end up barefoot, in their pajamas, on the observation deck.

They’ve been travelling in space for a while, but Lance has never seen anything like this.

Laid out before them is a nebula of changing blues and golds, scarlet to lilac, and he’s never seen anything so beautiful. It makes him remember why, as a kid, he laid on the beach and dreamt of the stars. He says so, and Keith’s gaze is soft but so heavy with meaning on him that Lance looks away. 

“Thank you,” he says to the cloud of dying stars in front of them. Keith takes a step closer. They’re still holding hands. When Lance looks back, Keith has on the smile that he’s only seen a few times.

“Happy birthday, Lance,” Keith says. “Just wanted to tell you.” 

Lance leans in without thinking about it, and Keith kisses him through a smile. He laughs, a small, gasping thing, and Keith squeezes his hand. 

“Thanks,” Lance says, and he’s not drowning anymore. 


End file.
